Kentucky Derby horse named to spread awareness

LOUSIVILLE, Ky. (WILX) - The owners of Kentucky Derby contenders have named their horses after superstar athletes, even catch phrases.

This year one owner, Al Gold, wanted to name his horse something to raise awareness. So, he named his horse ‘Cyberknife.’ Brad Coz is Cyberknife’s trainer. He says, although the team recognized they had a horse with potential on their hands, they were thrown by the strange name at first.

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“He’s always been a talented horse, we always thought he was a good colt,” Cox said. “But obviously we didn’t know what the name meant in the beginning.”

Dr. Neal Dunlap, Radiation Oncology Chairman for U of L Health, explained, “It’s actually a radiation machine strapped onto a robot.”

The combination of technologies results in robotic precision in the treatment of cancer.

“It’s a unique machine able to pinpoint radiation directly to tumors while sparing a lot of the normal tissues around a person’s body so they don’t have all the typical side effects from radiation treatment,” said Dr. Dunlap.

It’s technology Gold benefited from when he was treated for prostate cancer.

“It’s exactly why we’re doing this,” Gold said. “We want everybody to know that it’s not a big deal if you get cancer, you can get the Cyberknife treatment.”

Gold invited Kentucky cancer survivors treated with Cyberknife at the Brown Cancer Center to the backside.

Survivor Stacy McCaslin was diagnosed with lung cancer.

“It’s scary, very scary,” McCaslin said. “Being lung cancer, even though it was stage one but never being a smoker you don’t understand why and how.”

The option of Cyberknife meant fewer, less invasive treatments for McCaslin.

She said, “I hope more doctors actually take a look at doing the treatment.”

For lung and brain cancer patient Vivian Wilson, the new procedure worked when other cancer treatments hadn’t for years.

“The awareness of it, you know that there is the option of Cyberknife and there is hope, you know don’t give up hope,” Wilson said.

The group was thrilled to meet the Derby version of Cyberknife. And for his jockey, the awareness and good will feels right.

He said, “I’m hoping it will bring us luck!”

You can look out for that horse and more Saturday during the Kentucky Derby.

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